An automated roller cover for a tray back vehicle is disclosed. The automated roller cover comprises a roller cover comprising a curtain, a control unit operatively connected to the roller cover to actuate the rolling and at least one tailgate tilt unit operatively connected to the control unit providing tilt data for the tailgate as an input to the control unit. The at least one tail gate tilt unit may comprises a sensor such as, an accelerometer. The control unit may compares the tray back angle to the tailgate angle to determine if the tailgate is opening, opened, closing or closed.

A flexible tonneau cover assembly is provided that includes a side rail and a rear rail that is removably securable to the side rail. The rear rail is rotatable between a closed position wherein a flexible cover secured thereto is under tension, and an open position wherein the flexible cover is untensioned. Optionally, the assembly includes a securing member that is securable in a fixed position with respect to the side rail and defines a channel, and the rear rail is rotatable between the open position and the closed position when the rear rail is positioned in the channel of the securing member. Optionally, the flexible cover includes a cable operatively connected to the rear rail, and the side rail receives the cable therein when the rear rail is in the closed position to secure the flexible cover to the side rail.

A retractable cover system includes laterally spaced apart guide rails that each provide a track. A drive assembly includes a motor operatively connected to a gear. A cover has multiple slats configured to interlock with one another in a deployed configuration. The slats cooperate with the gear and are slidable in the tracks between first and second positions within the opening in response to actuation of the drive system. The slats are stacked onto one another in a stowed configuration. A method of servicing a retractable cover system includes the step of removing an access cover from a magazine to expose a cavity housing stacked rigid slats. A method of retracting a tonneau cover includes the steps of actuating a handle and decoupling the tonneau cover from a drive mechanism.

A convertible wheel is described that is interchangeably used with at least two different car plate designs and tracks. In particular, there is provided a wheel for use with a bearing and a car plate in a tarpaulin system. The wheel comprises a cylindrical body with a groove, first face, an opposed second face, and a central cavity positioned therebetween for receiving the bearing therein. The first face has a first opening with a first diameter, and the second face has a second opening with a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter. Either the first face or the second face can be positioned facing the car plate.

A device for covering a surface including a substantially rectangular cover (10) having first and second longitudinal edges each provided with a protruding convex bead (12) having a minimum diameter (d), two rails (6) including a groove, the opening (14) of which has a maximum width (Lo), a drum (2) that is able to move above the surface in order to deploy or retrieve the cover, an insertion system (16) for continuous insertion of the convex bead (12) into the groove. The convex head (12) of each longitudinal edge and the groove of the corresponding rail are configured such that, once inserted into the space (14e) by the insertion system, the convex bead occupying the space alone cannot be removed solely by the action of a force (F) applied parallel to the transverse axis (Y) in the direction of the surface to be covered.

A system may include a container and a cover apparatus for selectively covering a top opening of the container. The cover apparatus may include a roll tube movably mounted on the container and extending between the container ends and parallel to the container sides, a cover tarp having at least a portion rolled about the roll tube, and at least one bow member configured to support the cover tarp over the top opening in a closed condition of the cover assembly. The bow member may be elongated and extend from one said side of the container to the other said side of the container across the top opening of the container. The bow members may be positioned in a substantially vertically-oriented bow plane, and the bow plane may be oriented at an oblique angle to a sidewall plane of the container.

Disclosed are embodiments of a retractable tonneau cover for a vehicle that has been modified in order to generally minimize the size of a housing of the tonneau cover, providing more vehicle cargo space for a user. The modified retractable tonneau cover can be automatically closed through an electronic system.

A gap seal for a tonneau cover assembly is provided to seal between a front rail, a sliding element, and a side wall of a vehicle between the front rail and the sliding element. The gap seal includes a base, an extension extending from a first side of the base, the extension being disposed in the front rail, and a series of lips extending from a second side of the base, the lips each having a distal edge making sealing contact with the sliding element and a bottom edge making sealing contact with the side wall. Notches in the bottom of the lips allow the lips to easily move with the sliding element.

A container covering deployment system includes a covering deployment device and a pair of worm drive mechanisms. The covering deployment device has a pair of ends pivotally mounted adjacent to opposite sides of a load bed so as to undergo pivotal movement about a transverse axis extending between the opposite sides. Each worm drive mechanism is mounted adjacent to and drivingly coupled with one of the pivotally mounted ends of the covering deployment device so that the worm drive mechanisms are operable to translate rotational drive input motion about respective longitudinal axes extending along the opposite sides and between opposite ends of the load bed into rotational driven output motion about the transverse axis to thereby pivotally actuate the covering deployment device to either draw or withdraw the covering over or from an open-top container on the load bed.

A tonneau system comprising: (a) a plurality of tonneau sections; (b) a retraction system including: (i) a drive roller; (ii) a pulley spaced apart from the drive roller; (iii) a track extending from a location proximate to the drive roller to a location proximate to the pulley; and (iv) a line connected to the drive roller and one or more of the plurality of tonneau sections; wherein the line extends between the one or more of the plurality of tonneau sections and the driver roller when the plurality of tonneau sections are in the closed position, and the line extends from the one or more of the plurality of tonneau sections around the pulley and to the drive roller when the plurality of tonneau sections are in the stored position.